Fitness Over 40

You’ve heard “40 is the new 30 (or 20!?)” and so on. It seems like no matter what I do or what ‘new age’ 40 is, my metabolism did NOT get the message. And now I find myself closer to 50! The GOOD news is that it IS possible to beat your body’s ‘clock’ so to speak. Here are some tips that have worked well for me.

Tip #1 – Change up your workouts!

Are you a cardio junkie? Stuck on that yoga mat? It might be time to rethink your exercise regimen. Treadmills, jogging, or any cardio exercise done in slow, long, and monotonous sessions are NOT effective to maintaining a healthy metabolism. Yoga is wonderful for flexibility (and I highly recommend it!) but it does not do much to increase your heart rate or raise your core body temperature which is need to increase your metabolism.

The best type of exercise to metabolism and keep it boosted even after you are done exercising is HIIT style training. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. That means short bursts of very intense effort. HIIT training is not only effective, but it can also be modified to any fitness level, even if you are just starting out.

One of the greatest things about HIIT is that the average workout is around 30 minutes and is much more effective than an hour or longer on a cardio machine. (I mean WHO has time for that, right??) The best news about HIIT style training is that your body is all you need.

Beachbody has a ton of wonderful programs that incorporate HIIT training because IT WORKS. If you are curious what program might be best for you, or would like me to help you with a customized HYBRID, contact me! I would love to help you find your SOUL MATE program! (You can start by taking this QUIZ.)

Tip #2 – Do not fear strength training!

To lose body fat, every woman MUST add some resistance training to their workout program.

Your GOAL is to add muscle to your body.

Muscle is calorie burning tissue that helps keep your metabolism going strong. A common reason why many women over 40 gain while eating the same quantity of food is that they’ve lost lean muscle mass due to a more sedentary lifestyle. Cardio is not effective at building muscle, so we must do some type of resistance training!

Do not worry about “bulking up” or looking masculine, the female body simply isn’t capable of that unless you train very specifically with that goal in mind. Using your bodyweight as resistance is often more than enough weight, and you will achieve a beautifully feminine physique.

If you are feeling lost because you have no idea what “strength training” or “resistance training” is, no worries! Strength training is a normal part of almost any home-based program I would recommend. Our trainers have got your back!

Tip # 3 – DO NOT DIET

There are several unavoidable truths about what you eat.

Most importantly — you can’t ‘out-train’ a bad diet.
What this means is, regardless of how hard you train, if your diet is poor, you simply will never get the results you want. It is true what they say…abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym!

My TOP 5 nutritional tips are as follows:
1. Eat 5-6 small meals daily. This ensures that you never get too hungry and overeat. As well, your body knows that there is a steady supply of food coming in. This will help boost your metabolism, which helps burn body fat.
Include protein with every meal. This will help to stabilize blood sugar and help keep you full for a longer amount of time.

2. Lower your intake of starchy carbs, such as bread and pasta, and eat more fibrous carbs, such as veggies.

3. Eliminate as much refined sugar, white flour and processed food from your daily intake as possible. (It’s not JUST calories in vs. calories out.)

4. SUPPLEMENT. Because the quality of our food is just not what it used to be!! And because almost no one gets all the nutrition you really need from just the food you are eating daily. And because you are BUSY! (right?) Just be VERY picky about whatever your choose to put in your body daily for this purpose. Shakeology is my choice for my whole family…kids included.

5. Instead of dieting and limiting yourself, reevaluate your eating as whole. Apply the 80/20 rule, and nourish your body. When evaluating any nutrition plan… especially a ‘diet’ plan…ask yourself, “Could I do this FOREVER?” If not… it won’t help you make a lifestyle change…which is key to long term success.

As a woman in approaching or over 40… feeling tired, achy and looking it are absolutely NOT a ‘normal’ symptom of aging. Don’t settle.

You can get energized and fit doing simple exercises in the privacy of your own home. Heart pounding, challenging workouts paired with better nutrition will make remarkable differences to your trouble areas and your mood!

Fitness is not hard to understand, but it does take some will-power, and the willingness to invest a small amount of time consistently.

I’ve done my homework, practice what I preach, and I’d like nothing more than to help you achieve your BEST you!